Cultura Convos

What does food really mean to you?In this solo episode, I dive into my personal journey with food. From growing up eating Mexican food every day to the moment everything shifted when my dad had a stroke in high school. I share how witnessing this sparked a lifelong curiosity about health, ingredients, and the deep connection between cultura and what we put on our plates.From tacos de lengua to roasted eggplant mole, from my family joking that all I eat is lechuga lechuga to honoring my ancestors' way of eating, this episode is all about food, familia, and the ongoing journey of becoming more intentional about how we nourish ourselves and seeing the abundance of ingredients in our roots.In this episode:Growing up eating Mexican food and the memories attached to itHow my dad's stroke became my first real pivot with foodWhy I walked away from labels like "vegan" and "vegetarian"How this journey allowed me to see the abundance of ingredients in our culturaWhy eating healthier doesn't mean letting go of your cultura✨ Get my children's book Two Homes / Dos Casas and more at 👉 edithsuarez.com/booksCultura Convos is a space for stories and reflections of identidad y cultura because there's no one identity that defines us.

In this episode of Cultura Convos, we explore Dominique Sade’s journey of reconnecting with her roots and the different layers of her healing and wellness path.Dominique, founder of Dominique Sade Healing & Wellness Institute, opens up about how her health challenges became a turning point that led her to discover Qigong, commit to the practice, and eventually teach it in a way that is rooted in lived experience.Qigong is a holistic mind-body practice that combines gentle movement, breathwork, and meditation to support energy flow, reduce stress, and restore balance in the body.In this conversation, we explore:Reconnecting with her ancestorsHow health challenges can reshape your pathExperiencing and practicing QigongWhat led her to begin teaching QigongThis conversation is a reflection on healing as a journey, one that is influenced by our roots, our experiences, and the choices we make to come back to ourselves.Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on identity, culture, and personal transformation.Connect with EdithGet Edith's Childrens Book Two Homes, Dos Casas, which is about a little girl who visits her parents first home for the first time, which is in a different country. At first she doesn't like it...Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Edith on Instagram Subscribe to Edith's personal letter

In this episode of Cultura Convos, I sit down with Angie, NYC-born, Southern-raised, an NYU graduate with a Master’s in International Human Resources, and a mother navigating career, family, and life with intention.What began as a challenge with reading eventually grew into a deep love for it and even became a form of personal expression and rebellion. Through that journey, Angie found her voice in ways that continue to shape who she is today.We explore what it was like growing up Dominican in the South and how she embraces her identity as both an Afro-Latina and a Black woman. This conversation speaks to the nuances of identity and the reality that we are not defined by a single label, but by layered experiences that continue to evolve over time.If you have ever felt in between, found joy in reading, or perhaps not reflected at all in certain spaces, this episode is a reminder that all parts of you belong.Listen now on your favorite podcast platform and watch the full conversation on YouTube.Subscribe and join the community at edithsuarez.com

In this episode, I share my personal birth story, starting with my home birth that took an unexpected turn when we had to transfer to the hospital (thankfully everyone was healthy).I was inspired to share this part of my journey because there was so much I didn’t know going into it and my homebirth team made such a big difference along with my family and friends. I also share a bit about my postpartum / cuarentena period, where I leaned into Mexican cultura prioritizing rest, nourishment, and healing. This episode is rooted in my desire to share honestly so others feel more informed, empowered, and less alone in their own journeys.Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or simply curious about birth stories, I hope this episode meets you where you are.I talk briefly about my debut childrens book, and if you’re interested see the link below:📚 My books Two Homes Dos Casas and Dos Casas are available at edithsuarez.com/books

In this final episode of Season 1, I share the story of the birthing class I never knew I needed and how it changed everything. This experience allowed me to voice some of my fears around pregnancy while also helping me learn about the different options I had for birthing and making the decision to plan for a homebirth. In this episode, I talk about how this class changed me, how it actually got me excited for birth, and several highlights of what I learned. What I didn’t expect was walking out with a whole different plan of how I wanted to birth. What I thought would be a weekend of just a little more info on pregnancy and birthing taught me so much more about myself, birthing, and tools for advocacy. Through this experience, I began rewriting some of the narratives I had heard about birthing (i.e., pictures of dramatic novela scenes) and started to actually get excited about birthing, realizing that my story didn’t have to be what I saw on TV or around me. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:How the class quickly began shifting my mindset. The questions that helped me voice some of my fears. Stats about birthing that confirmed some of my concerns.How all this ultimately led me on a path to decide on a homebirth.Thank you for being part of Season 1 of Cultura Convos. If this episode resonates, please follow, rate, or share it with someone who would love it too. Stay connected for Season 2! There’s so much more to explore together. Website:edithsuarez.com Instagram: @itsedithsuarezTwo Homes, Dos Casas Book: edithsuarez.com/books

Season 1, Episode 7 | How My Words Became Reality: The 60K Story, Traveling & Rewriting My Self-TalkIn this episode of Cultura Convos, we explore something deeply personal and universal: the power of our words including the ones we say without thinking about them too seriously.I share moments where things I said casually ended up becoming my reality, what I learned from those experiences, and how my self-talk shifted as I learned to speak with more love, compassion, and awareness.As first- and second-generation folks, so much of our language comes directly from our cultura, our childhood, and the beliefs we inherited. But part of rewriting our narrative is choosing words that support who we are becoming, not who we were taught to be.In this episode, we dive into: ✨ Words we say without realizing their impact ✨ How culture shapes the way we speak (and think) ✨ The importance of shifting into loving, intentional self-talkIf you're a person who loves conversations about identidad y cultura, a lifelong learner, curious about what writing and rewriting your story can look like, and you're on a journey of self-growth, healing, or redefining your identity, this episode is for you.🎙️ Listen now and let’s keep rewriting our stories with intention and love. ✨ Connect with me on IG, Linkedin, or Tik Tok @Itsedithsuarez 📚 My bilingual children’s book → Two Homes, Dos Casas & Dos Casas available at edithsuarez.com 💌 Join the newsletter for stories and reflections of identidad y cultura at edithsuarez.com

Season 1, Episode 6: Catracha Fitness, Cultura, and Courage with Joanna BanegasIn 2023, Joanna founded Catracha Fitness, inspired by her deep-rooted love for movement, community, and underground Latin electronic music. Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the daughter of Honduran immigrant parents, she spent her days exploring the outdoors, jogging through the neighborhood, and playing with her siblings and cousins. Those early experiences built her foundation, a genuine love for nature, movement, and connection.In this Cultura Convo, Joanna and I dive into: ✨ Her story behind Catracha Fitness 🌿 Her love for the outdoors and how it shaped her identity 🎧 Embracing her cultural roots  💬 Letting go of shameIn this episode, Joanna also feels moved to share more about the journey she is currently in trying to conceive. She is deciding to let go of shame and continue owning her story. It’s always a joy talking with Joanna, and I’m so grateful to bring you into this heartfelt and empowering conversation.💌 Let’s keep the convo going! If this episode resonated with you, let me know what part spoke to your heart. We’re in the early stages of Cultura Convos and i’d love to hear from you. Don’t be a “ghost follower” (I just learned that from my teen cousin lol). Your feedback will help us and continue creating the best of Cultura Convos together.

Born in Mexico and raised in the immigrant embrace of California’s San Gabriel Valley, Diana was nurtured by my mother’s resilience and the rhythms of Spanish-speaking Latino churches. As a first-generation, low-income, and formerly undocumented student, she carried her community’s stories into her studies of History and Latina/o Studies at Pomona College and later into my M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School, where she was introduced to faith-rooted activism and liberation theology. Since then, her work in higher education has centered on cultivating spaces of inclusive learning and collective empowerment. More personally, she is on a long journey of healing her family’s lineage, (and what we focus of this episode) one joyful moment at a time. Driven by her hope to break intergenerational cycles, she hopes to gift her daughter a legacy of courageous compassion for humanity and a more expansive connection to Spirit rooted in ancestral wisdom. 

Hola, hola. In this episode of Cultura Convos, I share the origins of my debut bilingual children’s book Two Homes, Dos Casas, from the spark of an idea to the decision to self-publish to raising nearly $10K to bring it to life. Along the way, I reflect on creativity and the importance of recognizing that even when we don’t see ourselves as “creatives,” we truly are. This episode is an invitation to embrace your own creative voice and reflect on the ideas knocking at your door, waiting to be realized.

In today's episode, I share part of my journey of how I started reconnecting with my roots.  I'll share more about how it hasn't always been easy, but ultimately how this journey has helped me create a sense of pride in my culture, really understanding more of my story, my parents' story, and my great grandparents' story. 

In today's episode, I'm sharing a reflection on my decision to become a mother.T his episode is so important because, whether it's motherhood or something else, we need to pause and go after what we want. There are so many things that we can be like one day, one day and if we are not intentional that one day may not happen. 

Welcome to Season 1 of Cultura Convos.In this episode, I dive into my why for Cultura Convos and why now? Through personal reflections, stories, and conversations with other guests, this community is forming so we can become the best version of ourselves by writing and rewriting our stories from a place of strength instead of embarrassment, fear, or shame. Our goal is to begin or continue your journey of embracing and celebrating our cultural identity, while also remembering that no one identity defines us. Not me, Not you.